Begin at the beginning

Let's set the scene. I'm not new to blogging; in fact this is my third blog. I am, however, new to blogging about gastric bands, or lap bands; more importantly, I'm new to blogging about actually having a gastric band. For, in just under two weeks time (13 days no less), I will indeed be the proud owner (wearer?) of a gastric band.

I've been overweight forever. Quite literally. I was 8lb 13oz when born - not a gargantuan baby, but not exactly a slip of a thing, and it's been uphill ever since. There has never been a time in my entire life (of the parts that I can remember, obviously), when I haven't been overweight. I was always the biggest girl in my class; nearly always the biggest at university, and nearly always the biggest wherever I've worked. I think the lowest I've weighed in my adult life was somewhere towards the top end of 11st (about 165lbs), when I was about 26. At the time I did think I was fairly slim (for me), and I was certainly very happy being that weight, although that's not to say I wouldn't have been even happier had I weighed more in the region of 10st (140lbs). But I only got down to that weight because I was stressed and throwing up all the time, which wasn't exactly a healthy way to have got thin(ner), and since it didn't continue, I started putting weight back on.

When I met my husband in 2003 I weighed about 15st (I think - my memory really is terrible.) I was very self-conscious of my weight, but clearly not enough to do anything about it as, six years later, I now weigh in at my heaviest ever (if you don't count the fact that I got up to 19st 12lb when pregnant...)

18st 10lbs (262lbs), BMI 43.2, morbidly obese

About three years ago, a very close friend of mine had a GB fitted. At the time I remember thinking 'crikey, I'll never have that done, imagine not being able to eat whatever you want, whenever you want'. Well, look where eating what I want, when I want has got me!

I'm 5" 5' tall and apparently should weigh somewhere between 8.5-10.5st. So, even if we take the highest of those, I need to lose 8st 5lbs (117lbs). My goal though is to get down to 12st, which means losing 6st 10lbs (94lbs). I have no idea how long this will take, but at least with a GB once the weight is off, it should stay off. Not like with all the diets I've ever been on...

So, that was by way of introduction; I'll keep you up-to-date with how it all goes from here on in!